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Nightime Operations 9-3-2012
A short nighttime session before bedtime.
11 Engineer - Lorenzo
13 Foreman - Patrick
14 Helper - Greg
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Nightime Operations 9-3-2012
A short nighttime session before bedtime.
11 Engineer - Lorenzo
13 Foreman - Patrick
14 Helper - Greg
I set up a tuning fork test track. Just a lead a turnout and two stubs. Patrick and I switched it for an hour with our new Kato SD40-2 with a LokSound decoder. We pulled out a couple of Atlas 17,600 gal. Corn Syrup tank cars, an Atlas PressureAide hopper, a BLMA 64′ Trinity Reefer, an Exactrail 64′ Trinity Reefer, and an Athearn 50′ box car. We ran in the dark with only our blue lights on.
I’ve been working on a new switch list operations application. The application only needs to provide basic information. I just need to know what cars are where, and where they are going next. And maybe car type and length.
I built the application with a WordPress plug-in called DB-Tookit. It interfaces with the mySQL database back end and helps build the front in forms and UI. It’s a fairly good program, but I’ve run in to a few limitations. For instance, I haven’t been able to select out multiple fields from a joined table. I know how to do it in SQL, but DB-Toolkit doesn’t have an interface to write your own queries. My main goal with DB-Toolkit is to have an effective database interface for the back end.
I’d like to have a nice web-based front end interface that will present the user with sortable track lists; with the capability to sort cars by drag and drop from track to track. I found a couple of JQuery drag & drop scripts to try this out. The most promising is Touch Punch, because it also supports touch gestures like on iPad/iPhone. http://furf.com/exp/touch-punch/ I Especially like the Sortable lists, or a combination of them. Another example: http://furf.com/exp/touch-punch/examples/sortable/handle-empty-lists.html.
Of course when a user updates the sortable track lists, I’d like to enter that data back to the database. Before I get deeper into this project, I need to decide if I really want to take the time to learn relearn PHP and Javascript to develop a decent app. I don’t want to get to far off course.
Before I started developing the switch list application I took a hard look at what existed. I spent a few days working with Easy Model Railroad Inventory but I don’t think it will suit my needs. I really like a program called SwitchList, but it is only available for Mac OS X 10.5, I have a PC. I’ve also tried building a program with OpenOffice Database & Spreadsheet, but I’d really like this to have a web interface.
I spent the early part of the day entering data into Easy Model Railroad Inventory. It has a lot of fields, to help you keep an extremely detailed record of your equipment. I entered a dozen freight cars and one locomotive. I spent a good deal of time entering consignees and shippers for the Operations features of EMRI. When I got a decent set of data, I couldn’t figure out how to print up a simple track list, I couldn’t figure out how to even get the cars in to a track. I don’t think it’s designed down to that level of operations detail. Quite honestly it’s a great program for keeping track of your rolling stock, but I don’t think it’s going to fit my operations needs.
Tonight I was thinking about minimum turnouts and radii. This is where I need to do some operating. I’ve designed everything with #6 turnouts and 24″ minimum radius, but I really don’t know what HO trains look like running on a #6 turnout. I know in N-Scale the #8s and #10′s look right, everything else looks too small. With these thoughts I designed an alternative Industrial Lead to use #8 turnouts and 28″ minimum radius. This of course means fewer car spots & less yard space. Am I being too ridiculous when it comes to these minimums. The real answer I guess will come when I actually get some trains on a track and test this out.
I’ve told myself I have to clean up the train room and lighten the train load before I start a new layout. I’ve listed and sold 226 auctions on ebay during the last two months. I have another 4 items for sale now and one tote left to sell.
I’ve consolidated the crap from my workbench (that never got used as a workbench) and placed most of it inside a new roller cabinet. I’ve consolidated all of my scenery stuff into a tote and placed it in the garage. I’ve finished glueing scenery and buildings to my N Scale Alaskan Shipping FreemoN Module and it’s going to the garage in the morning. When I get a pair of strong hands I’m moving the workbench to the work garage and the work desk (that never gets used as a work table) is being sent back to the Goodwill.
© 2012 Greg Amer |
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